Latte and cappuccino, two seemingly similar milk coffees, actually differ significantly in milk quantity, milk foam thickness, and mouthfeel. A latte has a higher proportion of milk and a thinner layer of milk foam, so the coffee flavor is more noticeably diluted; a cappuccino, on the other hand, fills much of the cup with thick, dense milk foam, giving it a stronger coffee flavor. This article will deeply analyze the differences between the two from the perspectives of recipe ratios, the principles of making milk foam, and latte art techniques, and will also discuss whether milk coffee can reflect coffee bean quality, as well as product information recommended by Front Street Coffee. Whether you are a coffee beginner or a seasoned enthusiast, you can find practical knowledge and tasting ideas here.
From the perspective of the recipe, there is no strict defining boundary between latte and cappuccino. The core difference between the two is that a latte has a higher proportion of milk and a thinner layer of milk foam.
Let's talk about the latte first. The mass ratio of espresso to milk usually ranges from 1:3 to 1:5. That is, if one shot of espresso is 30 grams, then the milk added is about 90 grams to 150 grams. This ratio is not fixed. Overall, in chain brands such as Starbucks and Costa, lattes tend to contain more milk; while lattes produced by independent specialty coffee shops contain relatively less milk.
Latté in English-speaking countries usually refers to Café Latté, but in Italy—the birthplace of espresso—Latté simply means plain milk. So if you order a "Latté" in Italy, the waiter will only bring you a cup of pure white milk... Therefore, it is written as latte, but read as la(tte) is (milk).
What about cappuccino then? Its ratio of milk to espresso is roughly between 2:1 and 3.5:1. Theoretically, the finished cup volume of a cappuccino is a bit smaller than that of a latte. A large amount of the space in a cappuccino cup is taken up by milk foam. Milk foam is full of air, large in volume but light in mass. Because the proportion of milk is relatively lower, the coffee flavor of a cappuccino is more prominent than that of a latte.
Why add so much milk? Doesn't drinking a latte amount to drinking a big cup of milk? As mentioned in the [Espresso] section, the taste of espresso is extremely intense, and most people find it hard to handle directly. Clever Europeans therefore weakened the bitterness of espresso by adding milk (yes, they treat black tea the same way), while also introducing the sweetness of milk.
If you want to understand the specific method, it is best to first understand the components of these two drinks. Essentially, apart from the milk portion, there is no difference between them. We already understand espresso, so how is the special milk with "milk foam" in these two beverages made?
The two wand-like parts on the coffee machine are the key to making milk foam. We call them "steam wands." One of their functions is self-evident—heating! Submerge the tip of the steam wand below the surface of the liquid, open the steam valve, and high-temperature steam enters the liquid to transfer heat, capable of heating a cup of liquid to 80°C within 10 seconds. Milk heated in this way is what we call "steamed milk."
Steaming milk requires a special vessel called a "milk pitcher," also known as a "latte art pitcher." The body of the pitcher is usually bucket-shaped, with a slightly larger opening, making it easier to control the flow rate when pouring milk. Pour refrigerated cold milk (from a refrigerator at 2°C) into the milk pitcher, filling it to about 3/5 of its capacity, then slightly lift the steam wand and place the milk pitcher so that the tip of the steam wand is slightly submerged beneath the surface of the milk.
At this point, open the steam valve, and a sharp "hissing" sound will be emitted as heating begins. Friends who are interested can go sit in Starbucks. If you listen deliberately, you will probably be deafened by this sound.
Milk foam, also called milk froth by some. The steam wand blows high-temperature steam into the milk, and the fat in the milk enables the liquid to support small bubbles one by one. Just like blowing soap bubbles, the outer wall of a soap bubble is soapy water with a special molecular structure, while the outer wall of milk foam is supported by the fat and protein components in milk.
Once the milk is steamed, pour it into a large cup containing espresso, and the latte or cappuccino is complete?
Latte art, Latte Art, is a unique charm of the coffee world. Through coordinated wrist movements, fine white microbubbles float on the surface of the coffee crema to form different patterns, achieving a visually pleasing effect. Because the milk foam of a latte is thinner than that of a cappuccino, when making latte art with a latte, the smaller amount of milk foam can flow more freely. A cappuccino, however, because its milk foam is thicker, has a heavier texture that prevents it from completing very complex patterns, so cappuccino latte art
Latte art is often much simpler. The literal translation of Latte Art is "latte art," and this translated name also shows to some extent that latte art is "exclusive" to lattes.
But please note that most Starbucks and Costa locations do not offer latte art. They often serve coffee in disposable paper cups, so the quality of latte art has no impact on sales, and when you drink from the lid of a takeaway cup, you also cannot feel any difference from coffee with latte art. If you want to appreciate cool latte art, please look for independent specialty coffee shops. The latte art masters are all there.
Through this special technique of latte art, smooth milk and espresso finally blend together, becoming the final cup of latte or cappuccino placed before you. The hard work involved cannot be explained by a simple coffee structure diagram. I hope everyone treats every cup of coffee seriously, not only for the twenty or thirty yuan you paid, but also for the enormous labor behind that cup offered by baristas and coffee farmers.
After saying so much, what exactly do latte and cappuccino taste like? What are the differences? Here I will analyze the taste and mouthfeel of the two in a relatively objective and accessible way.
For a latte, because the milk content is higher than in a cappuccino, the coffee flavor is more noticeably diluted and the milky taste is stronger. Friends who strongly dislike the bitterness of coffee might as well start with a latte, seeking from the most diluted coffee the subtle flavors of coffee beyond bitterness.
As for cappuccino, the milk content is lower, and a large part of it is fine milk foam, so the coffee flavor is naturally much stronger. Combined with thick, fine milk foam, drinking an authentic cappuccino is like plunging into a soft Simmons mattress. The mouthfeel is rich and delicate, with a stronger coffee taste. For classmates who prefer stronger coffee, between latte and cappuccino, I recommend choosing cappuccino.
Everyone, whether you are at a large chain like Starbucks or at a small specialty coffee shop, please try not to add sugar to a latte or cappuccino, or at least taste what the real coffee tastes like before you add sugar. Countless coffee experts agree that sugar is the killer of coffee's original flavor. A coffee drink that has already been diluted many times by milk, plus packet after packet of white sugar and brown sugar?
So, with so much milk added, can lattes and cappuccinos really reflect the quality of coffee beans? The answer is yes. Even with so much milk added, the extremely intense flavor of espresso is not completely covered up. Of course, after milk is added, the tongue's ability to perceive the coffee's own flavor drops sharply, but this does not mean people cannot taste coffee. Even a layperson, when faced with a latte made from commercial beans and one made from specialty beans, can still clearly identify the better cup, though the layperson may not yet be able to articulate exactly what makes the specialty beans better.
Seesaw Coffee in Shanghai once launched an SOE Yirgacheffe latte. Friends still found the unique floral aroma of Yirgacheffe in a latte filled with milk, which truly demonstrates the influence of coffee beans on milk coffee. Let me ask: if coffee beans really had no influence on milk coffee, why would specialty coffee shops still be studying better espresso blend combinations? Of course, one qualification is still needed: although milk coffee does not eliminate the tongue's ability to perceive flavor changes, it at least greatly reduces that ability.
People in the industry call milk-added coffees like lattes milk coffee or milk-based coffee. From a professional perspective, the research value of these milk-based coffees is not as high as that of black coffee. Those who do coffee research must study pure coffee. They should not study pure coffee + milk. In the eyes of picky experts, milk coffee should be called a coffee beverage.
Although it has not received a very high rating in the professional field, in the fields of art and life, milk coffee has the upper hand. Unique and beautiful latte art always makes coffee pleasing to the eye, diluted coffee is also more acceptable to the many people who fear bitterness, and sweet, delicate steamed milk also makes it easier to drink. Some people comment that milk coffee perfectly combines the two most wonderful things in the world: coffee and milk. Drinking milk coffee has already become a leisurely attitude toward life.
If put this way, pure coffee leans toward the tech-nerd field, then milk coffee leans toward the field of life. Which is better? Because coffee is ultimately drunk by people, people determine the definition of the word "coffee." Imposing personal subjectivity does not mean much to the general public. Professional or not? Who cares, as long as it tastes good.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
